


The Warmth of Friendship

by MccoyKat



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Coffee, Comfort Food, Drug Addiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-11
Updated: 2014-08-11
Packaged: 2018-02-12 18:44:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2120676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MccoyKat/pseuds/MccoyKat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When he was in it the deepest.  When he didn't trust anyone and was fearing for his job, a cup of coffee would find it's was onto his desk every morning, no matter where they were.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Warmth of Friendship

_...Doth Very foolishly, although he smart,_

_not to seem senseless of the bob: if not_

_The wise man's folly is anatomized_

_even by the squandering glances of the fool_

_- **Jaques, As You Like It**_

Dr. Spencer Reid hated the cold. That had been the best thing in moving from Las Vegas to California. It had been awful moving from California to Virginia. He always felt cold. He had devoted hours of time figuring out exactly how to layer clothing to save the most body heat.

During the cabin ordeal with Hankel, he had noticed the cold soon after his shoe was taken off. He had feared that the last thing that he was going to feel before death was the tendrils of cold air trying to claw at his exposed skin. That was the also worst part about the dilaudid. He was sent back to the shack whenever he was high. He felt those icy claws, could feel the cold moisture of Tobias' breath against his face.

When he'd come back to Virginia after that, he remembered not taking off his coat for a long while. To this day, he still stayed in layers.

Someone had noticed. Everyone probably had, but it wasn't the most pressing thing, what with him being an obvious addict.

When he was in it the deepest. When he didn't trust anyone and was fearing for his job, a cup of coffee would find it's was onto his desk every morning, no matter where they were. It was always piping hot, as hot as you could get it without burning it. Always with way too much sugar, just perfect.

He wrote his mother about it how it cheered him up. She sent back a letter to say not to trust anything the government gave him, how could he be so stupid. He almost sent back a letter that scathingly explained the government gave him his paycheck, but he stopped himself before he got to the mail box outside the hotel.

That day, the letter had glared up at him from beside the mug while he worked on the profile. He almost couldn't bring himself to drink it, but the warmth was something he didn't think he could manage without. He also didn't need to bring on a caffeine headache on top of whatever the dilaudid was doing to his system, not while he was at work.

The next day, it was still there, even when he snapped at Prentiss for something that he knew was his fault. The coffee stared up at him like a physical embodiment of guilt. He made Prentiss her afternoon coffee as an apology, but couldn't actually bring himself to talk to her. He just handed it to her and walked away.

The coffee the next day was as warm and comforting as always, and he paused to debate whether to bring it into the meeting with him, before deciding what the hell. They'd never kicked him out for having food before. The debate still made him late for the meeting. The comfort of the coffee was something he needed. He wasn't sure who exactly was making it, but it always made him a little happier. And during those dark days, even that little bit of happiness made all the difference.

__

_I had rather be any kind o' thing than a fool:_

_And yet I would not be thee_

**_\- Fool, King Lear_ **

 

**Author's Note:**

> My parents just bought me some flavored (Salted Caramel Mocha) coffee beans for heading back to school and I'm just really happy about it.


End file.
